Lisa Saunders is not only a stellar wine salesperson, but she also has loads of insights to the current (and future) wine market. (Tune in to hear them.) Our guest on today’s show not only shares her name with co-host Lisa Adams Walter*, but she also worked a stint with co-host Misty Rodebush Cain at Foley Family Wines several years ago.
Lisa is a long-time wine sales executive, having served in various sales capacities at Hahn Family Wines, Signorello Estate, Mt. Beautiful Wines, and Charles Krug. She recently began a new position at Boich Family Cellar and had a fascinating story to tell us about her interviewing process. (Teaser!) We heard a lot about what this past year has been like for wine sales professionals, as so many sales tools were forced to change during the pandemic.
Business travel vanished for Lisa, as it did for so many, forcing her to adapt to new sales paradigms. What’s known as “ride alongs” or “work withs” became virtual appointments with potential sales accounts.
Unlike many in sales, Lisa has a major advantage, in that she combines her passion for wine with her passion for acting. (She is the only guest on our show who’s shared the stage with Rita Moreno, Jill Eikenberry and Victoria Tennant in the Vagina Monologues!) Successful sales results, in large part, come from the salesperson’s ability to present the wine in the best light. Acting training can provide immeasurable confidence in making those presentations.
Listen in to hear Lisa’s story of demonstrating her direct-to-trade (DTT) sales skills, incorporating her acting skills and training, as part of her interview process at Boich. Those skills were combined with a key element she emphasized during the show: her network of friends and colleagues. Once tasked with putting together a faux trade tasting for her would-be new employer, Lisa experienced the classic actor’s nightmare: what wines should she present in this tasting? (Note: the actor’s nightmare is forgetting lines. That translates to “blanking out” on wines to present for a wine salesperson.) She turned to her friends and advisors for ideas on the wines to present.
And what were Lisa and the hosts enjoying in their glasses during the show? Lisa Saunders shared that she was drinking her “house white,” made by friend and Napa winemaker Anna Monticelli, the Cavallo Di Battaglia – Abruzzo. Lisa Adams Walter was in the mood for bubbles! She picked up the Piper-Heidsieck, Sauvage Rose Champagne, from BeBubbly Napa ahead of the show to enjoy. Misty switched it up to enjoy the St. Supery 2017 Rutherford Estate Cabernet Franc, which she cited for its peppery-ness and integrated tannins. And Marcia Macomber was sipping the Mathis Rosé de Grenache, a favorite for its refreshing, crisp, strawberry, raspberry and cherry fruitiness.
Tune in to hear more of this lively conversation.
* Both Lisas were born “Lisa Adams.”
Podcast (ww): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:33 — 41.6MB)
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